THE REVELATION OF JESUS
GOD’S THRONE
Revelation 4: 1-11
The first vision of Revelation is complete, now we start the second vision. In the first vision John saw and heard Christ on the earth. The second vision begins with John being taken to heaven.
As he wrote the vision down, John included what he saw and heard in heaven as well as what he saw on earth.
Everything connected with the throne as it appears in this chapter, is awesome, strange, and unexpected. We instinctively feel out of our depth, for there is little or nothing to which we can relate. Everything described is outside the realm of normal experience.
Who ever thinks of God as a stone? We can think of God having physical part, or of Jesus described as a lion of lamb. The symbolism of Jesus as the Vine is also understandable, but the idea of God being like a stone is startling and unexpected.
Then the mysterious creatures with four faces. The twenty four elders, and the seven fold Spirit referring to the Holy Spirit. We are definitely in the realm of the unfamiliar.
Before we go any further please remember one basic principle. As John describes heaven to us, he has the unbelievable task of describing the unfamiliar things of heaven to us. Just imagine taking a native from a primitive tribe in the jungle to New York City. How would he describe to his fellow tribesmen the things he saw that they knew nothing about.
i.e. cars, planes, bicycles, TVs, ice cream. Any way you look at it, it’s hard. For this reason many things are presented symbolically.
For us, these symbols are not hard to understand when you keep in mind the background and understanding of the people to whom John was writing. Most of the symbols in Revelation depicting heaven have a counterpart in the Old Testament.
vs 1 After this
Many Bible scholars believe that at this point in Revelation Christ takes the faithful overcomes of his churches out of the world. Thus, the catching away, or rapture, precedes the tribulation period. They believe this for several reasons,
1st Beginning with 4:1 the word church(es) is not mentioned until 22:16.
2nd The bride of Christ, the church, appears in chapter 19 already with Christ in heaven before he returns to earth to judge the wicked and to reign in the millennial kingdom.
3rd The promise given to the Philadelphia church to keep it from the hour of worldwide trial pertains to all believers who stand true to Christ before the tribulation.
A door standing open in heaven is like the beginning of the prophet Ezekiel’s visions. In the New Testament the heavens opened when Jesus was baptized, when Stephen was stoned, and when Peter saw a sheet filled with unclean animals.
We understand the Bible to speak of three heavens. First is the atmosphere, what we see everyday. The second heaven would be the universe, and the third is where God is. Paul spoke of this and I believe this is where John went to.
The voice I had first heard speaking to me was that of Jesus. His first command had been to write on a scroll, now his command is come up here.
The words I will show you reminds us that the contents of Revelation belong to Jesus, He is the revealer. All the events to follow must take place. The future is determined, not only is God in control, He knows what will take place.
This truth certainly would bring comfort to the struggling believers on the seven churches.
The events described in this vision plainly follow in time those described in the first vision. On the other hand, the initial scene of heavenly worship is ongoing through time.
The Throne of God
The central object of heaven is the throne of God. It is referred to eight times in the first six verses of chapter 4 and eighteen times altogether in chapters 4 and 5.
The Throne of God is the place of authority and the center of God’s rulership for the activities of heaven and our earth.
Seven Things Around the Throne of God
1. The Triune God
At once I was in the Spirit directly refers to being in the Holy Spirit. John was able to see and hear by the Spirit’s power things that in the normal he could not see or hear.
Before John can describe the throne, which he never actually describes the throne itself, he observes someone sitting on it. Later John explains that this is the Creator of all, God the Father.
Remember, Jesus is the one speaking to John, revealing heaven to him.
Human language fails at this point. God’s form simply has the appearance of jasper and carnelian. What are these stones? Not 100% sure, although we have a good idea. English translations for yaspis include, jasper, jade, green quartz and diamond. This stone is also the first foundation stone for the new Jerusalem.
Sardion has been translated sardius, carnelian, red quartz and ruby. It is the sixth foundation stone of the new Jerusalem.
What would this description mean to the first century believers? Most were converted jews and they would instantly recall that these were the first and last stones in the breastplate of the High Priest (Exodus 28).
I’m not sure what all it stood for, other than that was the only way John could explain what he saw.
Imagine the flashing brilliance of greens and reds of a king’s crown in the noon day sun. Now add a rainbow resembling an emerald (we do know about this stone). This is not an ordinary rainbow, but a perfectly circular one.
When God made the rainbow in the sky a sign of his covenant with humanity, he took something from his eternal throne and gave it new meaning. While at the same time the rainbow has become a reminder of God’s covenant promise to humanity.
2nd The Twenty Four Elders
John’s attention is diverted from the central throne to twenty-four other thrones. These thrones are not described either, nor is the meaning of the number explained. Many have put forward several ideas as to what the thrones and elders stand for. The most frequent suggestion is that the twelve sons of Jacob (the old covenant) and the twelve apostles of Jesus (the new covenant) are together praising God.
Others believe that the twenty-four orders among the Israelite priests (Levites) are in view.
We don’t know who they are, most likely they are powerful angelic beings there to do God’s bidding, worshiping God.
They are dressed in white and wear crowns of gold on their heads. White is worn by the redeemed as well as the angels. Here the crowns suggest the power and majesty of these creatures. In a couple verses we will see what they do with them.
3rd The Signs of Judgment
John’s attention focuses once more on the throne in the center, and the volume has been turned up. We hear rumblings and peals of thunder, accompanied by flashes of lightning. No doubt the most spectacular light show of all times.
Lightning and thunder have long been associated with the concept of judgment, and we know that judgment is coming.
4th The Sevenfold Spirit
The seven lamps represent the seven spirits of God. We already saw this in 1:4 as a unique way to refer to the Holy Spirit. This is in reference to Isaiah 11:2:
the Spirit of the Lord
the Spirit of wisdom
the Spirit of understanding
the Spirit of council
the Spirit of might
the Spirit of knowledge
the Spirit of the fear of the Lord
In the first century lamps were usually made of pottery and burned olive oil through a wick. Here the lamps are seen were blazing, more to be seen than to provide light.
5th The Sea of Glass
Before the throne appeared another amazing sight, what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. Again human language fails. John doesn’t say that he sees a sea, but on what looked like such a thing. This may be identical to the experience of Moses and Aaron, who saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself Exodus 24: 9-10.
Other scholars believe that the sea of glass in heaven corresponds to the sea of cast metal, a huge basin, used for washing at Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 7). This is highly unlikely, as there are no sacrifices in heaven, therefore no need to washing.
6th Four Living Creatures
John now lingers over the appearance of the four living creatures more than that of the elders. He was fascinated by these powerful guardians of the throne, the closest of all the created beings to God’s throne.
Most likely these creatures are seraphim, the same ones described by Isaiah in his vision of the throne of God (Isaiah 6: 1-3). They are also similar to what Ezekiel saw (Ezekiel 1: 10-11) and he called them cherubim.
Why are four earthly creatures represented in heaven? Many have guessed at it, and I believe this is as good an explanation as any.
Matthew = the lion - Jesus is the Jew’s Messiah, the lion of the tribe of Judah.
Mark = the ox - Jesus is the Servant, the burden bearer and sacrifice for sins.
Luke = the human - Jesus is Adam’s descendant, dying as a righteous man
John = the eagle - Jesus is God’s Son, the heavenly one who imparts eternal life.
7th The Heavenly Worship of Jesus
Once again the volume is turned up. John now hears what the living creatures say continually day and night. Obviously, day and night do not exist in heaven. But the point is clear, John heard the heavenly worship of living creatures, designed so that they never stop their praise.
Isaiah also heard the seraphim cry out holy, holy, holy. Many scholars believe triple holies are referring to the three Persons of Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As the four living creatures give glory, honor and thanks, the elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship the Lord. In their worship the elders present their crowns before the throne.
The elders then sing a creation song. God’s creative power includes both the original act of creation and his ongoing preservation of the created order. All things were created by him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1: 16-17
